BC Hydro, British Columbia,
Aboriginal Affairs Minister of British Columbia

RE: British Columbia Hydro
Bills for the People of the Province,

Subject: Cost for B. C. Hydro is causing suffering for
the consumers of the Province

Dear
Christy Clark, and BC Hydro,

We humbly request that the
British Columbia Hydro costs to become immediately reduced because the
average individual and consumer cannot afford to pay for the high costs of hydro bills of British Columbia, it is
beyond the financial means of any British Columbian resident to pay for BC
Hydro bills every month and yearly.

The cost for British Columbia
Heat on Cowichan Reserve is beyond the means or financial capability to pay for one winter bill, and heat is a basic human right. The unemployment rate is extremely high caused by socio-economic barriers to financially succeed on reserve in British Columbia. The highest First Nations membership population
live off-reserve; Victoria, Duncan, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Ladysmith and
surrounding townships and cities of British Columbia because they are marginalized to live on their homelands. Native Peoples are forced to live off-reserve. Again, native peoples are hit with a huge
hydro bill, which is out of their financial capability to pay from month to month. Heat and electricity is
a human right in British Columbia and Canada.

Heat , electricity, and hydro use are a Basic Human Right for British Columbia for both
Native and Non-Native People of British Columbia. It is not only for the rich!

An average BC Hydro bill is
approximately $400 to $800. per month for British Columbians. This is beyond
the normal financial capacity to endure monthly and annually for any normal
household in British Columbia with consideration that First Nations People
live far below the poverty line. One house hold on Cowichan Reserve cannot
possibly pay one bill during winter months and requires assistance from Cowichan Tribes and BC Hydro Agreement for minimal monthly payments
yet, the hydro bill continues to rise and could become as high as $5,000. before the
year end. First Nations People are part ownership of the resources in British Columbia and its time to honor that agreement and remove discrimination from BC Hydro.

First Nations People live in
Poverty, highly unemployed, both on and off-reserve in British Columbia. The
BC Hydro bills are not cost effective, and systemically eliminates the right for heat or electricity for British Columbia residents.

BC Hydro's escalating costs must become eliminated and
revised for British Columbia and its residents.

The BC Hydro bills and costs
are very discriminatory toward members that live within lower or fixed income
bracket of British Columbia, causing great and undue hardships to thousands and thousands of
households.

Remove Discrimination from
British Columbia Hydro through lowering the costs and imposing Equalized Monthly Payment Plans which can be approximately $75. every two months per household as like Saskatchewan. If you compare the hydro utility bills with Saskatchewan, the bills are based on human need not corporate costs. It gets to minus 40 in Saskatchewan!

We the people are requesting the Premier of British Columbia, Aboriginal Affairs Minister, BC
Hydro Corporation to lower costs for BC Hydro.

We ask BC
Hydro to remove the gap of discriminatory financial costs for heat in British
Columbia and make it humanly capable and possible to pay a bill from each household, resident, month
to month and yearly costs without the great discrimination.

As you know, many Native
Peoples have committed suicide on Cowichan Reserve last year; 55 suicides and
over 200 attempted suicides, because of socio-economic conditions; high
unemployment, low educational advantages, inability to rise above the poverty
line and the high costs of bills as like the BC Hydro bill on Cowichan Reserve. An individual
gets $185 per month for Social Assistance on Cowichan Reserve for everything, which includes bills. If a BC Hydro bill is $775 dollars for two month period of
billing, they cannot pay for the bill. Off-reserve, under fixed income of $610
dollars for rent and utility bills; it is financially impossible to pay the
hydro bill. Let me remind you again, that heat and electricity is a basic human right.

We, the people ask for immediate
changes to lower the costs for individuals of British Columbia for an
affordable utility bill that all British Columbia residents can afford and pay. It’s beyond the
financial means for many residents to pay for BC Hydro bills.

Please revise the costs immediately.
I am advocating for all British Columbia Residents and I promote race relations through
advocacy, for changes for everyone to enjoy heat and electricity without
financial discrimination by BC Hydro.

BC Hydro is a part of
the socio-economic problems First Nations People face, and its time to address the issue and it’s time for change!
Bring down the over-bearing costs from BC Hydro for all British Columbia residents. Please
respond, and I respect your time constraints but we do need
action and resolution for the highly discriminatory BC Hydro costs which is a huge
burden causing undue financial stress for not just First Nations People but for all British Columbia households.

It is a Human Right for heat in British Columbia. Looking forward to your kind and prompt action, because the financial stress is too great to ignore!

Thanks and Regards

Sharon
Lewis

Advocating for British Columbia and Basic Human
Rights for B.C. Hydro 18/02/2013

c.c
.Aboriginal Affairs Minister of British Columbia

c.c.Provincial,
National, International supports for Human Rights for Hydro.

How this will help

The British Columbia Hydro is causing great and undue hardships for people from every single income level, and its impossible for people with a lower or fixed income to pay for a BC Hydro bill that becomes so high, its beyond their financial means to cover. Many times the poor or most vulnerable people of British Columbia lose their hydro from disconnection because of their financial inability to pay for it. All people deserve heat and electricity in BC. Its time to voice our concerns and seek social justice for the people of British Columbia for lower payments, and equalized payments no matter what income group they belong to! Let us remove discrimination from BC Hydro. Huy Ch Qu Sharon,